This invention relates to a pneumatic tube transfer system, and is more particularly directed to a dispatch terminal or station for the delivery, reception, and/or transit of the cylindrical carrier or vehicle employed in such a system.
In an ideal pneumatic system, the dispatch terminals should make it simple and convenient to transmit a carrier to a desired remote station, and, at the same time facilitate a low impact reception of pneumatic carriers.
In previously proposed dispatch stations, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,437,797; 4,459,069; and 4,047,677, a pneumatic carrier or vehicle is loaded into a tubular chamber in the chamber's load position, and then the chamber, with carrier in it, is moved to a transmit position aligned with a pneumatic tube. In this type of system, a carrier must be inserted endwise through a hole in the terminal housing for access to the chamber, and it is difficult or impossible to retrieve a received carrier at the same time that one transmits a carrier to a remote station. Furthermore, the operation of these stations is rather complex.
Open-type carrier terminals are sometimes employed, these terminals being of simpler construction, and somewhat easier to utilize for send and receive functions. However, if the open type of pneumatic transmit or receive terminal is employed, there is a danger that an operator could inadvertently load two carriers into the terminal at one time, causing a system misoperation.
By way of background, and for the reader's edification and information, a pneumatic carrier system can employ various types of line equipment, including diverters and switches, as discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,466,761; 4,516,888; 3,174,806; and 3,902,682.